From 11 a.m to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, a paranormal convention was hosted inside Altgeld Hall. At Obscura Paracon, various vendors, paranormal investigators and researchers, mediums and artists tabled in the second floor auditorium, showcasing their work to those interested in learning about the spiritual world.
For $15 for a day pass or $25 for the weekend, attendees could visit Obscura Paracon, a smaller sized experience that compares to the Oddities and Curiosities Expo in Chicago.
Throughout the day, attendees could go to the third floor entertainment room to listen in on various presentations related to the paranormal, spirits, cryptids and more.
Attendees could also meet special guests, including content creator and paranormal explorer Vince Kelien, author Amelia Cotter, paranormal researcher and zoologist Barnaby Jones, media creator Joshua Purvis, Ashmore Estates owner Robbin Terry and psychic medium DeEtte Ranae.
The special guest investigators include Chris Fleming, Dale Kaczmarek, Tony Szabelski and Willy Adkins.
For an additional charge ranging from $15 to $40, attendees could participate in various workshops.
On Saturday, these workshops included aura and spirit photography as well as paranormal protection satchel creation. On Sunday, workshops included creating witch bells, unlocking the sixth sense, and ancestral hearth and spirit protection.
Many of the vendors tabling at Obscura Paracon are located in the Midwest, such as Thyme ‘n Again, an apothecary shop located at 161 E. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, and Splendid Scale Designs, an artist specializing in reptile drawings, located in Harvard. Moxie Malas, a handmade crystal jewelry store, drove from Minnesota to table at Obscura Paracon.
Of these vendors, some offered experiences rather than physical objects.
Various mediums, including Oracle Pink Medium and Tarot, Rob Hogan and Violet Flame Healing Arts, offered short services providing spiritual insight to attendees.
Sierra Pettite, a paranormal investigator, showcased and demonstrated how a Phasma Box communicates with spirits at their booth.
“This is a type of spirit box. Sometimes, it just throws out random stuff, but if you ask questions, sometimes it will actually correlate with what you’re saying,” Pettite said.
Another paranormal investigator crew, Graveside Paranormal, displayed previous findings of spirits in Illinois. Additionally, Neal Gibbons showcased how to communicate through spirits using the Estes Method at their booth.
The Estes Method is a common way to communicate to spirits by using a blindfold, noise cancelling headphones and a spirit box.
By channeling through the person blindfolded and deafened, investigators can ask questions to spirits and get answers from the person. Gibbons offered this service to attendees free of charge.
Some may be skeptical about other beings existing in this world, nonetheless being able to communicate with them. However, John Lavarda, a paranormal investigator and attendee of Obscura Paracon, said paranormal events can happen in day-to-day life without people even realizing.
“You have to look at everyday things that aren’t paranormal, like a door slam, and rule out anything that’s normal from it. If you can, then that’s pretty much proof, right?” Lavarda said.
Many of the vendors sold metaphysical and spiritual healing items, including crystals, smudging tools and pendulums.
Larry Eissler III, a 2024 NIU alumni and co-founder of From Ashes to Echoes Paranormal, showcased a wide arrangement of custom made spirit pendulum boards and spirit dice. These tools were available for attendees to receive messages from spirits, which is often used for spiritual guidance.
Thyme ‘n Again showcased various smudge sticks and polo santo, used to cleanse negative energy from an area. Joni Joyner, co-owner of Thyme ‘n Again, explained that metaphysical healing items such as incense and crystals are not for everyone.
“If it’s not right for you, then it’s not right for you. I tend to use a lot of the (metaphysical) stuff my partner necessarily does not,” Joyner said.
Even if someone isn’t interested in the spiritual world, Obscura Paracon offered a wide variety of items for attendees to purchase, including teas, art prints, stickers, decorations and jewelry.
“I’m having a good time, I got some pretty good stuff,” said attendee Zayla Ricketts. “I got a variety of cards and stuff for my mom, she’ll like a lot of stuff here too.”
For those who may have missed the event, there is no need to fear, as Obscura Paracon is an annual event.
For those curious to learn more about the unusual, The Dark Art and Oddities Con is set for Nov. 14 to 15, in Altgeld Hall, focusing on a variety of oddities and curiosities.
